The present invention related in general to an improved means for handling flowable material within a conduit system therefor, by separating the material into uniform increments of predetermined amount and advancing all such increments processionally to a point of discharge. It is concerned also with a means and method for utilization of impulses, resulting from conversion of a continuous stream, variable or otherwise, of flowable material into a succession of separated increments thereof, to measure the amount of such material passing through the conduit system therefor and/or control the operation of a feeding mechanism for a second conduit system through which flowable material, derived from a different source, is adapted to be processionally advanced in the form of separated increments. More specifically, the present invention related to an improved fluid movement control mechanism and further relates to the combination of such control mechanism (associated with one conduit system) with an improved continuous weighing mechanism for fluids (associated with a second conduit system).
In conjunction with the description contained herein, regarding the fluids passing through said weighing mechanism, it is to be understood that this facet of the present invention has applicability to numerous types of materials in motion including liquids ranging widely in viscosity and characteristics, granular substances capable of fluid motion and various combinations thereof. However, as a specific example, the subsequent description will be concerned with milk in its flow from a cow through a conduit system which includes a milking machine, a weighing mechanism for said fluids, a collection container, a vacuum pump which exerts a subatmospheric pressure in the overall system, and feed supply system for said cow including the improved fluid movement control mechanism.
While the present invention may find useful application in various industries engaged in handling flowable materials of many different kinds, it has been designed for and successfully used in the dairy industry to supply feed to production cows concurrently with milking operations, the quantity of such feed being adjustable relative to the milk yield, in a desired ratio, in each case. Stated differently, the feed supplied to each cow is in a quantity that is in direct proportion to her concurrent milk production. By adopting a basic ratio of feed to milk production, with provision for variations to meet special conditions, a large number of producing cows may be assured of receiving feed in an amount best suited for the requirements of each individual cow, concurrently with each milking operation, and with a minimum of effort and wastage.
The word "feed" as used herein, includes food concentrates, grain supplements, rations, etc. -- all loose material which is flowable through a conduit system to be handled mechanically therein. Likewise, "fluid" is to be construed as any material, liquid, granular, loose feed, or otherwise, which is flowable or in a flowable state, so as to be subject to treatment by the several agencies in the manner hereinafter noted. The term "continuous" or its equivalent as used herein in reference to flowing material, is to be understood as not limited to, but including, a stream whose movement is somewhat variable as to velocity and quantity, as in the case of milk proceeding from the udder of a cow through a conduit therefor to a desired destination.
The term "weighing mechanism" as used herein, includes volumetric devices for monitoring fluid throughout and which ultimately is equated to weight, e.g. pounds or pounds per minute.
Since the output of producing cows is widely variable, the amount of feed supplied to each individual cow should also vary somewhat correspondingly, otherwise the amount may be too much or too little. The simplest way is to relate the feed input to the milk output according to some established basic ratio, however, prior to the inventive concept set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,113, issued Nov. 19, 1963, this has not been successfully done by automatic means. The present invention now constitutes an improvement over the invention set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,113.
Regarding the milking of animals such as cows, the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,113 has recognized this problem of establishing a feed input to milk output ratio and the need for refined correlation thereof. However, one of the disadvantages of the prior art device which has been suggested to solve this problem has been that said device is based upon complex electro-mechanical apparatus such as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11 in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,113. Under these circumstances, however, there are numerous disadvantages. Consequently, it can thus be seen that there is a need in the art for a simplified mechanism which in this case constitutes an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,113 and which can be used in combination with a continuous weighing mechanism for fluids in order to overcome the disadvantages heretofore set forth.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved fluid movement control mechanism which is simple in construction but is highly effective when utilized, for example, in a conduit feed system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in combination with said improved fluid movement control mechanism, a fluid flow indicating device used in a second conduit system and which both systems are interconnected therebetween by suitable electrically conductive means.
A salient object of the present invention is to provide a milk collection system wherein an animal being milked is concurrently being fed and there is established a milk out-put to feed in-put relationship by the combination of a fluid flow indicating device associated with said milk out-put system as in improved movement control mechanism associated with the feed in-put system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the constant monitoring of an animal's fluid out put during a milking period and by suitable electrical circuitry activate and control the feed in-put to the animal during said milking operation.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a highly sophisticated milking operation and feeding operation for utilization with animals such as cows in order to effect a milk out-put to feed in-put ratio for each animal being milked.
These and other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the subsequent description including the claims and drawings.